Dasmesh Hawks Hockey begins
Tribune News Service
The All India Dasmesh Hawks Hockey Tournament would be held from April 13 to April 17 with fourteen teams from all over the country sweating it out in Ropar.
RPF Kapurthala, BSF Jalandhar, EME Jalandhar, Punjab Police Jalandhar, CISF Delhi ITBP Jalandhar, PSEB Patiala, All India Air Force Delhi, SAI Bhopal, Sports College Lucknow, Western Railways Bombay, Baba Farid Club Faridkot, Rock Rover Chandigarh and Maharaja Ranjit Singh Academy Amritsar will be participating.
Founder president Hawks Club SS Saini said that Hawks Club Ropar is a premier hockey club established in 1966 to promote hockey in Ropar and surrounding areas. Club has teams under 12, under 14, under 16, under 19 and the senior teams. Every morning and evening more than 100 players are seen in action in the two grounds developed for purpose.
More than 200 players of club have played at national level. Players have been playing for the reputed national teams such as Punjab Police, Border Security Force, Northern Railway, Services, AG Punjab, Punjab & Sindh Bank, Customs XI, CRPF, Combined Universities etc.
At the international level players Baljit Singh Saini, Gurmail Singh, Gursawek Singh, Munish Kumar, Amarjit Singh and Dharmbir Singh have been members of Indian Hockey Team. Recently Dharmbir Singh was a member of Indian Team for Commonwealth Games held in Delhi and ASIAD held in China. He scored 15 goals for the country.
To popularize Hockey among the masses especially youngster, club held exhibition matches among reputed teams and also Hosted foreign teams like Spain, Canada, Germany, Japan, Singapore and Pakistan. This activity continued from 1966 to 1972.